Antirrhinum plant named ‘Sant214E’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Antirrhinum  plant named ‘Sant214E’, characterized by its outwardly spreading, trailing and low mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit; freely flowering habit; and flowers that are red purple in color.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Antirrhinum×hybridacultivar Sant214E.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofAntirrhinum plant, commercially known as a trailing Snapdragon,botanically known as Antirrhinum hybrida, and hereinafter referred to bythe cultivar name Sant214E.

The new Antirrhinum is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Alphen aan den Rijn, The Netherlands. The objectiveof the breeding program is to create new freely flowering Antirrhinumswith trailing and mounded plant habit, vigorous growth habit, largeflowers and attractive leaf and flower coloration.

The new Antirrhinum originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in 1999 in Ter Aar, The Netherlands, of an unnamed selection ofAntirrhinum hybrida, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, withan unnamed selection of Antirrhinum hybrida, not patented, as the male,or pollen parent. The new Antirrhinum was discovered and selected as asingle plant from the resulting progeny of the cross-pollination in acontrolled environment in Stavenisse, The Netherlands in 2001.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttingssince 2001, in Ter Aar, The Netherlands has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Antirrhinum are stable and reproduced true to typein successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Sant214E have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, light intensity anddaylength without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Sant214E’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Sant214E’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Outwardly spreading, trailing and low mounded plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit.    -   3. Freely flowering habit.    -   4. Flowers that are red purple in color.

Plants of the new Antirrhinum differ from the parental selectionsprimarily in plant size and vigor.

Plants of the new Antirrhinum can be compared to plants of the cultivarBalumdepur, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,097. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the newAntirrhinum differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Balumdepur inflower color as plants of the cultivar Balumdepur had purple-coloredflowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Antirrhinum.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof typical plants of ‘Sant214E’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of typicalflowers and leaves of ‘Sant214E’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants of the cultivar Sant214E have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Encinitas, Calif., undercommercial practice in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse during thewinter and spring with day temperatures about 24° C., night temperaturesabout 18° C. and light levels about 4,000 foot-candles. Plants used forthe photographs and description were about 16 weeks from planting rootedcuttings in one-gallon containers with five plants per container. In thefollowing description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Antirrhinum hybrida cultivar Sant214E.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed selection of Antirrhinum hybrida, not            patented.        -   Male parent.—Unnamed selection of Antirrhinum hybrida, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 10 days at 21° C.            Winter: About 11 days at 20° C.        -   Time to develop roots.—Summer: About 30 days at 21° C.            Winter: About 35 days at 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Annual flowering plant; outwardly spreading, trailing            and low mounded plant habit. Freely branching habit; dense            and bushy growth habit; about eight lateral branches per            plant.        -   Plant height.—About 14 cm.        -   Plant diameter (area of spread), single plant.—About 20 cm.        -   Vigor.—Moderate growth rate; vigorous.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 26 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Internode length, flowering branches: About 1.7 cm. Texture:            Slightly pubescent. Color: 146A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite before flowering;            alternate after flowers develop; simple. Length: About            3.5 cm. Width: About 1.5 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Broadly            acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Venation pattern: Pinnate,            arcuate. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: 147A.            Developing leaves, lower surface: 147B. Fully expanded            leaves, upper surface: 147A. Fully expanded leaves, lower            surface: 148B. Venation, upper surface: 147B. Venation,            lower surface: 148B. Petiole length: About 8 mm. Petiole            diameter: About 1 mm. Petiole color, upper and lower            surfaces: 146B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single bi-labiate personate flowers            arranged in loose terminal racemes. Freely flowering habit,            usually about four to five open flowers and about three to            four flowers buds per raceme. Flowers face mostly outwardly            or drooping. Flowers not persistent. Flowers not fragrant.        -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period, spring            until autumn; flowering continuous during this period.            Plants start flowering about twelve weeks after planting            rooted cuttings.        -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about one week on the plant.        -   Inflorescence length.—About 6.8 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 5 cm.        -   Flower length.—About 2.2 cm.        -   Flower width.—About 2 cm.        -   Flower depth.—About 3.5 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About 8 mm.            Shape: Ovoid. Color: 184A to 184B.        -   Corolla.—Shape/arrangement: Broadly tubular; five modified            petals; upper two and lower three petals fused. Petal lobe            apices: Rounded. Petal lobe margin: Entire. Length, upper            petal lobes: About 2.4 cm. Length, lower petal lobes: About            1.4 cm. Width, upper petal lobes: About 1.4 cm. Width, lower            petals lobes: About 1.1 cm. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces of petal lobes: Slightly pubescent; velvety.            Texture, throat: Pubescent. Color: When opening, all petal            lobes, upper surface: 70A; small spot on lip bulge, 12A.            When opening, all petal lobes, lower surface: 75C. Fully            opened, all petal lobes, upper surface: Towards the margins,            70B; towards the base, 70C; spot on lip bulge, 12A to 12B.            Color becoming closer to 155D tinted with 70D with            development. Fully opened, all petal lobes and tube, lower            surface: 155D tinted with 70D.        -   Sepals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five per flower; fused at            base. Length: About 7 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape:            Elliptic. Apex: Broadly acute. Margin: Entire. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent. Color, upper            and lower surfaces: 146B.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Strength: Moderately strong; flexible. Angle: About 15° from            the stem. Color: 146B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity: Four per            flower. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther shape: Oval,            bi-lobed. Anther color: 10A. Pollen amount: Moderate to            scarce. Pollen color: 12A. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity: One            per flower. Pistil length: About 1.8 cm. Style length: About            1.3 cm. Style color: 70D. Stigma color: 145C. Ovary color:            145D.        -   Seeds/fruits.—Seed and fruit development has not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Antirrhinum have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to    Antirrhinum.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Antirrhinum have been    observed to tolerate temperatures from −5 to 32° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Antirrhinum plant named ‘Sant214E’, asillustrated and described.